Skirt marker



Sept. 18, 1956 H. G. VALENTINE 2,763,052

SKIRT MARKER Filed May 21, 1953 I 2% flzmid 515% United States Patent SKIRT MARKER Harold G. Valentine, Brockton, Mass., assignor to Daniel Eisenberg, Plainfield, N. J.

Application May 21, 1953, Serial No. 356,487 2 Claims. (Cl. 339) This invention relates to a device for marking skirts or other garments to provide a guide for hemming so that the finished garment will have uniform clearance from the floor.

It is an object of the invention to provide a device which can readily be operated by the person wearing the garment, without any assistance from another person. It is a further object of the invention to provide a device which is small enough to be carried in a ladys handbag, can be quickly mounted on a smooth wall surface, and which includes means by which it can be mounted accurately at the desired height from the floor.

For these purposes the device comprises a powder gun by which a thin horizontal line of powder may be blown from a nozzle, a suction cup by which the device may be attached instantly to a smooth wall surface, and a built-in measuring tape by which the elevation of the device from the floor may easily be determined and by which the device may quickly and accurately be mounted at the desired height.

For a more complete understanding of the invention reference may be had to the following description thereof and to the drawing of which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same;

Figure 3 is a section on line 33 of Figure 2'; and

Figure 4 is a section on the line 44 of Figure 3.

The skirt marker comprises a cylindrical receptacle which is detachably secured to a body member 12 and has a marking zone, The receptacle 10 holds a quantity of a fugitive marking substance constituting a fine powder 14 such as pulverized talc or the like which is blown through a fiat nozzle 16 projecting horizontally from the body member 12, the nozzle being the marking zone in the embodiment of the invention shown on the drawing. Near the tip of the nozzle there is an inner partition element 18 to spread the powder so that it emerges as a horizontal line of substantial length to impinge on a skirt or other object 'he'ld nearby. The body member 12 has a tube 20 integral therewith extending down into the upper end of the receptacle 10. To this tube is attached a flexible tube 22 of convenient length, a flexible bulb 24 being at the other end of the tube 22 so that each time the bulb 24 is squeezed a jet of air is forced down into the receptacle 10 against the powder 14, this resulting in a horizontal discharge of some of the powder with the air through the nozzle 16.

The body member 12 also has attached thereto or integral therewith a cylindrical casing 30 containing a 2,763,062 iatented Sept. 18, 1956 coiled measuring tape 32 mounted on the body member for rotation about a horizontal axis through the medium of a coiled spring 34. The measuring tape 32 passes through a slot 36 in the casing 30 and can be pulled out to the length desired. The tape is provided with the customary scale divisions indicating lengths from the ends of the tape. The slot 36 is located on a level with the nozzle 16 and serves as an index mark cooperating with the scale divisions on the tape to indicate the length of tape which has been drawn from the casing 30 and also the height of marking zone above the floor if the tape is extended vertically to the floor so that its end touches the floor. Projecting from the side cover 38 of the receptacle 30 is a suction cup 40 which is adapted to press against a smooth surface 42 and to hold the device against such surface. The measuring tape 32 provi-des a convenient means by which the nozzle 16 may be mounted at any desired height from the floor, the slot 36 being on a level with the nozzle tip 16. In preparing to use the device a ring or handle 44 at the end of the measuring tape 32 is held against the floor near the wall 42. The device is raised until the desired height of the nozzle is indicated by the portion of the tape which appears at the slot 36. The device is then pushed against the wall 42 so as to squeeze most of the air out of the cup 40 which then holds the device at the desired height. When the tape 32 is then released, it is withdrawn by the spring 34 into the receptacle 30. The tube 22 is preferably of sufficient length to enable the user of the device to operate it while standing near the nozzle. This repeated squeezing of the tube as the operator turns around will result in the projection of lines of powder against the skirt or other garments in line with the nozzle 16. This device can thus be used without the assistance of a second person. It is also compact in structure and small enough in size to be conveniently carried in the ordinary ladys handbag.

I claim:

1. A skirt marker comprising a body member, a marking device carried by said member and including means for horizontally projecting a fugitive marking substance, a suction cup secured to the side of said member for attaching said member to a vertical surface, and a flexible coiled measuring tape mounted on said body member for rotation about a horizontal axis so that the end of the tape can be pulled down to measure up to the body member from the floor, said body member including also an index mark against which the tape is readable, said index mark being in the same horizontal plane as that in which the fugitive marking substance is projected.

2. A skirt marker as set forth in claim 1 wherein the marking device includes a nozzle having a slot through which the fugitive marking substance is projected, said slot being horizontal and in the same horizontal plane as the index mark.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,106,152 McIntosh Aug. 4, 1914 1,853,280 MacKenz-ie Apr. 12, 1932 1,974,085 Shields et a1. Sept. 18, 1934 2,043,162 Foster June 2, 1936 2,396,929 Putnam Mar. 19, 1946 2,532,298 Goldstein Dec. 5, 1950 2,603,474 Mandolf July 15, 1952 

